VANS ULTRARANGE NEO VR3 REVIEW | Mind the Sizing

PROS hey what's going on guys this is Jake at that fit for in and today I'll be reviewing the Vans mte Ultra range Neo VR3 so I have been sitting on this shoe for a while I have logged a good amount of miles into them so three things to like with the shoe is number one I like the comfort of this model so the shoe has a nice cushy Eva foom midsole and if you are somebody who wants a shoe for walking about all day so if you're going to Disney for example a theme park or if you're going on vacation you want that shoe you can travel in this can be a great option to look into it breathes decently well up here in the 4 foot midfoot despite having these suede overlays and it has a nice level of comfort with the midsole so the whole experience in this shoe I think just does a good job at feeding into just general Comfort regarding cushiness of the midsole but then also just climate of the upper the second thing to like with this model is it's pretty dang versatile regarding its daily wear functionality so this model looks pretty good to where you can dress it up but I've also worn this shoe on light casual hikes and so if you're somebody that wants that singular shoe for doing a bit of everything this can be a great option to look into it has a good aesthetic to it and outsole is aggressive enough to grip outdoor surfaces so I think if you are for example on looser terrains Etc and you want to wear this shoe both indoors and then out and you want to make sure you have grip this can be a great option to explore the third thing to like with this model and I'm going to blend two kind of Pros into one thing is number one I think if you like a bit of arch in your shoes and if you have a narrower foot this model will feel right at home for your foot anatomy and the other thing to like which I'm going to lump into the third Pro here is that this model has a lot of sustainability to it so the outsole midsole upper and the the shoe they all have environmentally conscious components to them and so if you're big on the materials used and sourced in your shoes this can be a great option to look into but now let's talk about a couple of cons that I have with this model so two CONS cons that I have with the ultra range Neo VR3 is number one it does run pretty narrow and so I have an e to double e with foot I sized up a half sizee in this shoe and they fit decently well now granted they are a little bit long for my foot Anatomy but I would say size up a half size if you're nervous about this but if you have exceptionally wide feet this is just not going to be a model for you and I probably pass on this model entirely from the Vans line which is a big bummer the second con that I have with this shoe and it's kind of a nitpick aesthetic thing but I'm nitpicking with this because this is a model that I think most folks are going to want to wear for daily wear is the laces they run a little bit long and they get kind of awkward so if you have to tighten this shoe a bunch even when double knotted this looks pretty dang long and clunky and just doesn't really look that aesthetic so it'd be cool to see the laces shortened on future iterations that's a pretty easy fix and then also with the tongue itself I kind of wish the tongue was a smidge longer as well right now it's a little bit short and it can kind of fold in and so with these clunky laces and the tongue starting to fold it can be kind of annoying at times those are two I know nitpicks for this model but their quality of life updates that I think would just make this shoe chef's kiss but that said let's talk about the performance of this shoe when it comes to the performance of this shoe I Performance Assessment haven't done a ton of training in this model like I have the ultra range XO which is a model that I do like for lifting and cross training the reason I haven't trained in the shoe is number one the stack height is just Wicked thick and then number two you do have exposed foam here and I just don't love that for gym context now you could probably do some more casual lifting and cross trading in this model but I have not tested them in that vertical I'm not going to speak to that where I'll talk to this shoe for its performance is multi-season wear walking and just general comfort and so when it comes to the multi-season functionality of this model it does a pretty good job now I will say I do think it has a bias towards winter fall and spring it does have suede overlays the breathability of this shoe does a good job but it's not going to be the most wispy shoe it's not going to be like a knit shoe that has a ton of breathability and so in stereotypical Vans fashion it does have a slightly heavier upper with these suede overlays around the 4 foot and midfoot so in the sense of like the spectrum of Vans Continuum of maximal breathability and decent breathability this model is over here for decent breathability but this isn't going to be the most breathable shoe so for example it's like 102 right now in Austin Texas this would not necessarily be my go-to pick if I want to keep my feet cool for all they wear when it comes to General walking I have thoroughly enjoyed this shoe I have worn this shoe for traveling I have worn the shoe for longer hikes and walks and I've worn this shoe for all day wear when I was just traveling to the airport and standing and walking on my feet all day and I've liked the overall responsiveness and feel of this msle it's thick but it does have a good amount of flexibility and it breaks in really fast and so that's always something I generally like with the ultra range models and I think if you've worn the VR3 or the XO you will resonate with this shoe I do enjoy it for that context now I will say something I've noticed with this model with all day wear is I wish the 4 foot had a bit more volume I think that would help contribute to giving you a bit more of a spacious fit up here in the forefoot and I think that might actually give it a wider fit too but because we do have the suede overlay that sits kind of low it does kind of cut into the all day comfort of this shoe so while it's very comfortable regarding its midso plushness and comfort there are certain little nuances that I wish could be tweaked in this model and it's kind of speaking also to like the laces and tongue just little tiny nitpicks that would make this shoe I think is way more all-encompassing for a wider range of asks and foot anatomies and then also speaking to the comfort of this shoe something I do enjoy is that you can wear it a little bit looser or snugger and it doesn't really feel like it's going to fall off of your feet even though this model is sized up half size and it does run a smidge long even if I wear these looser I don't feel like I'm having heel slip and whatnot so I do like the boot security that you get in the shoe despite it being slightly more low profile I think that's because you kind of sit into this midsole back here so overall when it comes to multi-season use I would give this shoe a strong like 7.5 8 out of 10 good for three seasons can work for summer but not the most breathable shoe on the market when it comes to walking performance and just general Comfort I would give this shoe a strong 8 to 8.5 out of 10 it should work for most folks especially if your foot Anatomy aligns with this shoe when it Price Breakdown comes to the price of this shoe you can expect to pay $125 now I think that price point is fair if you plan to just rock this shoe casually or for a daily wear basis and you plan to rotate them in with other models now if you need a shoe from Van that has a bit more versatility and you also want to train in it I would say go with the Vans Ultra range XO that price point also is going to align I think for those ask better than this model's price would all right so now who should buy the mte ultra Who SHOULD Buy These? range Neo VR3 so number one if you want a van for traveling an all day wear and you want that singular shoe that you can just slap on your feet and they're going to feel pretty dang comfortable that's where the shoe is going to excel the second context where I think this shoe makes a lot of sense is for my friends out there who like a bit of art support and have a narrower foot this model has a pretty aggressive taper and so if you have a narrow foot and you constantly feel like you're swimming in your shoes toe boxes this can be a great option to look into and the third context where I think the shoe makes sense is if you want that shoe that you can wear casually but then also doing some outdoor activities in and if you live in a climate where it's a little bit more moderate regarding temperatures now who shouldn't buy the shoe number one wide Who SHOULDN'T Buy These? feet I'm telling you just pass on the shoe even if you size up I don't think you're going to have enough width in this model's 4f foot to make it worth it number two if you're somebody who needs a Vans for TR training and you need a Vance for cross training or lifting more specifically there are a lot of better options out there this model is not going to be it so I would just say pass on this shoe entirely for that context as well all right so when it comes to Sizing and Fit sizing pay attention to the section so foremost folks size up a half size in this shoe now if you have notably narrow feet and you know that you might be safe going true to size but for everybody else like myself who have slightly wider feet or even medium WID feet so I have an e to double e with foot and normal Arch sizing up a half size I think is the safe call in the shoe because the toe box I think is just going to feel too snug and so sizing up does give you a bit more wiggle room there so again narrow feet true to size everybody else size up a half size if you have threee plus wi feet do not buy this shoe do not waste your money I promise you it's likely not going to fit you all right so Weight, Drop, and Insole now let's cover the weight he little tow drop and insole in this model so for my size 10 and 1 12 again I have gone up a half size in this shoe we have a weight of 12.30 ounces the H tow drop of this shoe is not disclosed on Vans sites or basically through any retailers but it doesn't really feel fully flat I almost feel like there's a low Drop to this shoe but again that's just based off of my interpretations of how the shoe feels on my foot compared to other models that I've reviewed when it comes to the insole the insole of this shoe does not come out it has a light adhesive that's keeping it in and that's also why I don't love this shoe for thicker feet and why I think the volume up here in the 4 foot can be problematic for some folks all right so now let's cover the construction ction of this shoe so up Construction Details here on the toe box we have these leather overlays here they almost feel like a suede but it's this Vans leather that runs from the forefoot into the midfoot of this shoe you also have some leather overlays that enclose this midfoot back here and then also back here on the heel it gives the upper a bit more of an aesthetic and heavier feel which is also why I kind of like the shoe more for cooler or more moderate temperature days we also have some textile materials here to the for foot and the midfoot as well and these are a little bit more lightweight and breathable looking at the midsole of the shoe you have the VR3 Kush midsole that runs throughout this midsole again is very comfortable it has a good level responsiveness and comfort to it and it does flex pretty well so despite the shoe having a slightly higher stack height it does have a good level of maneuverability to it looking at the boot of the shoe you do have a padded boot here it is a little bit lower regarding its height on the ankle and you have an external heel tab here to help pull the shoe on looking at the midfoot you have six core eyelets that go up you have a traditional lacing system and then you have this padded mesh and textile tongue here with some Vans branding this tongue I think could be reworked a little bit I feel like either widened or brought up a tiny bit as already mentioned because it does kind of fold at times despite having a lower gusset to it looking at the outsole of this shoe you have a rubber tread up here in the forfoot and heel of this model and the lugs are decently aggressive so you can wear the shoe outdoors and it gives you a good amount of bite now you do have some exposed foam here through the midfoot but thus far honestly mine has done pretty good with durability there isn't a ton of wear on these lugs just yet so I have been pretty happy with this shoe overall regarding its outsold tread patterning and durability but that pretty much wraps up this sho's construction there are a lot of sustainable materials in this model as well definitely check those out on the product page but if you have additional questions on the construction call outs of the shoe in this video drop a comment down below all right y'all thats up my review of the Would I Buy Again? Vans mte Ultra range Neo VR3 and that is such a mouthful now would I get this shoe again despite loving the comfort of this model I likely wouldn't because I want the toebox reworked I just need a wider shoe and I think if you are thinking about buying this shoe and your foot Anatomy aligns with this model it makes sense and it's worth it but I think for the vast majority of folks this model is just going to feel a bit too snug and if Vans made this into a wide version or just made the toe box a bit more boxy we would be cooking with gas people but all that to say if you have additional questions on this model drop a comment down below or reach out to me personally whichever you prefer and as always y'all drop like on the video Drop subscribe to the channel I'll see you guys in the next one